Sundt‘s current work at Cannon Air Force Base near Clovis, N.M., is a great example of why experience matters. The $23 million heavy civil project involves building a new parking apron and taxiway for the C-130 gunship aircraft – plus extensive drainage facilities – in just 365 calendar days. As if that weren’t challenging enough, the site is in close proximity to an active runway and “arm / de-arm pad” where arriving planes are armed and de-armed with live ammunition – operations that necessarily take priority over construction and can bring the team’s activities to a halt. There are also five other contractors on site to work around and coordinate with.
“One of the main reasons Sundt was selected for the job is our experience performing military airfield paving and similar work for the federal government,” explains Project Manager Dominic Mascia. “There are about 55 pages of specifications for the concrete paving alone – covering batching and placing the concrete to the quality checks which include thickness, smoothness, strength, etc. It takes a lot to get a quality end product, which not every contractor understands. Poor quality work can lead to early and unscheduled maintenance and other more serious problems that can be both expensive and dangerous. We also have a lot of experience working in high-security military environments.”
Sundt’s ability to perform more than half of the project with its own crews offers another advantage. “We’re self-performing the earthwork, the installation of the underground utilities (storm drain and water line), the box culverts and other drainage structures, and the concrete paving,” Mascia continued. “Quality is the ultimate goal. Experience, plus self-performing a large part of the work, is a proven way to reach it.”